Helicopter toy



E. F. MCCOY HELI COPTER TOY June 8, 1948.

2 Sheecs--Sheetl 1 Filed Aug. 7, 1944 June 8, 1948. YE. F. MccoY 2,443,144

HELI COPTER TOY Filed Aug. 7, 1944 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented YJune 8, 1948 UNiTQEe 4siafrela'ise :PMvIelSiT vcritics.

*HEIICOPTER' TOY "Ernest F. ,McCoy, -Man1 i, Fla. `Application August 7, 1944, Serial No. 548,371

iClaim. -1

This inventionrelates tofahelicoptertoy.

An object ofthisinvention is .-to provide :an improved helicopter including A,a body and fa Awind Wheel, and means for holding :the body Lagainst reverse rotation as the wind ywheelrotates Another object of this invention .isltoprovide an improved blade structure for a helicopter wherein the blades --are `pivotally carried by 'a swinging shaft so that thepitch of vtl'ie-bladeswill automatically vary in yproportion to thefspeedof i.

rotation.

A further object of this invention -is to provide in a device of this character-animproved means for holding the body against reverse .rotation wherein the body is provided .with -laterally projecting flexible wings which rform-the necessary drag to resist reverse rotation.

A further object of this invention isftoprovide a helicopter of this kind which is Aof simple construction so that it can be made at zlow cost and will withstand rough treatment.

With the foregoing objects and others which may hereinafter appear, -the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and ai rangement of parts as will be more speciiically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein are shown embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications mayberesorted to which fall within the scope of the Yinvention -as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail side .elevation of fa 1helilcopter constructed according to .an embodiment of this invention,

FigureZ lis a sectional View-taken on ftheiline -construction .and which has .secured thereto a substantially triangularly shaped flexible member II. The flexible member II extends laterally from opposite sides of the body I and has the apex thereof lowermost and secured by cement or lother suitable fastening means to the Ibody I0. The upperedge I-2 or -base of the triangularly shaped member I I .is straight and uppermost 4and is l positioned v at a point I spaceddownwardly from ythe upper end of 'theibody I0.

'The flexiblemember I I constitutes a brake for resisting reverse rotation of the body Ill ,during thezoperationof thefdevice. The lflexible member II at; the upper Opposite -corners thereof Vis formed kwithapair of pockets II3.within.whicf1 the Aopposite ends fof a bendable strip. I4 are :adapted fto engage. The ybendable `strip I4 is `lex-tended .through an opening I5 formed in the body Ill, and preferably, the strip I4 is of such lengththatwhen the ends thereof arepositioned withinthe 'pockets Ir3, lthefstrip. I4 1will .be longi.

tudinallyi-bowed,asshownin Figure 1.

.A propeller shaft I6 ydisposed :at -the `upperend ofthe body ;-I.Il, is gpositioned at right angles to thezlengthof the body j-Illand issecured byl suitablefasteningmeans to a driveshaftA I'I which is vjou-rnaled in a .bearing -I8 fixed as at YI9 to the Vupper end portion -of -the ,body lil. A thrust washerll) ,is interposed-between the shaft I6 and thelbearing Ifasshown in Figures l. and 3.

mhefshaft l5 has' rockably mounted thereon at 4afpoint `outwardly from the medial center thereof a pair of propeller members generally Idesignated ...24. Thegpropeller members 2I areorlike confstruction and each includes ;a longitudinally curvedleading -blade member 2v2 and a substantiallyfiiattrailing blade member i23. The .two blademem-bers 212 and2;3 vare spaced apart vand :arezxedly-connected rtogether by -means of a pairfof-arclmte connecting-bars .24 and '.2 5. yPrei- ;e1ably,the shaft -.I Gextends vthrough the connect-- ;2.I iis overbalancediinthe"direction of .theftrailing -endfithereofso that when the blade assembly is :st-ationarythe trailing ends 23 thereof will =be lowermost.

As gshown in Figure 2, the angle oi"l the leading :iblade vmember ,22 is opposed tothe angle of -the ktrailing blade L23:1; `'This vopposing yof the angles between the two Iblade members Y2&2 and Z3 ,--provides a means whereby each blade member -will fbe substantially `,horizontal when 'the assembly .is .rotating and the .arrangement of the angles vof :these `iblaide members .is such as to provide .for iinaximum' lift.

The .drivefshaft "Il at :its lower end is kvformed .witnajhoolsor open eye 25 with which-one end of a exible or elastic motor member 21 is adapted to be engaged. The opposite end of the flexible member 21 is engaged with a lower hook 28 Xed in any suitable manner to the lower end of the body I0. In practice the motor 21 is in the form of an endless rubber band which is twisted in order to provide the desired rotary movement of the drive shaft I1.

Referring now to Figure slight modification of this invention, wherein the body Illa has associated therewith a flexible triangularly shaped member Ila which prevents reverse rotationof the body Illa. In this form the flexible member Ila has cemented or otherwise fixed to the upper edge thereof a transversely ex-` tending supporting strip |4a. The strip l4a ex- 4 there is disclosed a tends through an opening Ia formed in the body w.

Illa or if desired the strip or otherwise `firmly secured of the body Illa.A

Referring now to Figures to the adjacent side 5 and 6, there is disclosed another modification of this invention.

In this latter form, there is provided an elongated body IIlb which has secured thereto the upper end of a'flexible triangularly'shapedmember IIb. The flexible member IIb is held taut by means of a transversely extending strip |4b which is extended through the body IIlb1 adjacent the lower portion thereofv and the lower portion thereof and the opposite ends of the strip |4b are engaged in pockets |312 formed in the opposite lower corners Aof the flexible member IIb. The flexible member IIb has av pair of angularly disposed lower edge portions 29, the apex of which is lowermost and is secured by cement or-other fastening means to the adjacent side of the body A propeller assembly generally designatedas 30 is secured to the upper end of ay drive shaft 3|, journaled through abearing 32 xed to the upper end of the body IIJb. The assembly'30 includes a propeller shaft 33 fixed to the upper' end of the drive shaft 3l" and extending at right angles to the latter. A pair of blade members 34 and 35 are rockably mounted on the shaft 33 adjacent one end thereof and a similar pair of these blade members are mounted on the opposite end of the shaft 33.` A washer or collar`36 is fixed to the outer end of the shaft 33, and the outermost blade 35 is adapted to engage against the collar 36.

'A Washer 31 is interposed between the adjacent `edges of the two blade members 34 and r35 vand an inner washer or collar 38 -is'mounted on ythe shaft 33 and holds the inner blade member 34 against endwise movement inwardly on the shaft 33. The two blade members 34 and 35 are of like construction, and each includes a at trailing blade member 39and a longitudinally lcurved leading blade member 4|).- rIhe two blade members 39 and 40 are secured to a pair of arcuate connecting bars`4| and 42, the bars 4| andv 42 having as an axis the medial center of the shaft 33.

In operation of the construction shown in Figure 5, the blades 34and 35 willV assume dierent angles with respect to thevhorizontal, the innermostr blade member 34 being inclined at a greater angle with respect to the horizontal than the outermost blade l35. This is caused by reason of the fact that the outermost blade 35 travels a greater distance in each rotation of the assembly. By providingouter pairs of these blade members a greater lift will be effected tha'n'where only one blade member at each end of the shaft 30 is provided.

Illal may be cemented In the use and operation of this helicopter, the motor 21 is wound to the desired degree by rotating shaft I6 in a counterclockwise direction. The device is then held ina substantially vertical position and when shaft I6 is released, motor 21 will rotate the propeller blade assembly in a clockwise direction and the blade members 2| will assume a substantially horizontal position. As the shaft I6 rotates, the blade members 2| will lift the body I0 vertically and during this rotation of shaft I6 the Wing or brake construction I will rotate with the body I0 ina reverse direction with respect to the rotation of shaft I6.

However, due to the wing construction I extending laterally of the body'I, this wing construction will' forma drag'resisting reverse rotation of the'body I0, the fiexible member I bagging out soas to contain air in the bag or bowed portion, thereby forming a pocket which will serve to prevent rotation of the body I0 except at a very slow speed, In this manner I the 1force Ygenerated by the motor 21 will be communicated substantially entirely to the-drive shaft I1 andthe shaft I6 will be rotated in a horizontal plane.

What I claim is:`

A helicopter toy comprising an elongated'body. a propeller drive shaft carried by vsaid body at one end thereof, an elongated resilient motor for said propeller, a triangular shaped flexible member carried by said body and extending laterally therefrom for resisting, the torque of saidpropeller and motor, said memberxed atthe apex thereof to the other end of said body, a longitudinally bowed bendable member engaging said body intermediate the length thereof at theupper end of said flexible member engaging the otherl corners thereof, a propeller blade supporting shaft on saiddrive shaft atright angles thereto, a propeller blade on each end of saidlatter shaft, each of said blades including spaced apart REFERENCES crrnp The following references are Yof record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTSv Number Name Date i 202,281 Mettam Apr.' 9, 1878 1,191,501 Dees July) 18, 1916 1,230,881 Taylor June 26, 1917 1,401,537 I-Iill 1 Dec.V 27,'1927 1,481,827 Brown `Janf29,"1924 1,692,397 y' Wagnerd. Q; Nom-2051928 Y 1,813,852 IsaccoY July' 7,' 11931 1,917,965 Gerhardt July-11,' 1933 1,960,141 DAscano f r` lMay 22,1934 2,058,678 Fry "Oct. y27,1936V 2,133,485 Sherman' Oct. '18,1938

' FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 464,462 France Q Mar. 21,1914 466,674 France Mar. '10,' 1914-. 585,523 France Dec.`10, 1924 7,990 Great Britain Apr. 18,: 1901 296,514

Italy Mar. 1932 

